First, foreign aid dollars fund multi-nation efforts to combat illegal trade in timber and fish. These illicit practices cost U.S. foresters and fishers billions of dollars in lost revenue every single year by flooding the market and driving down prices.

According to the Alabama Department of Commerce, “Alabama has the second largest commercial timberland base in the U.S., with 23 million acres. Forestry is the state’s second largest manufacturing industry, producing an estimated $14.8 billion worth of products in 2013, the latest data available.” Alabama also ranked second in the country in fish production. By cracking down on the black-market trading of timber and fish, our foreign aid dollars are protecting Alabama jobs.

Second, foreign aid that flows into international conservation efforts, which has enjoyed bipartisan support for decades, helps countries manage their natural resources sustainably. This prevents the scarcity of water, food or forests that often contributes to instability and sparks regional conflicts.

Third, cracking down on illegal wildlife trafficking cuts off a major source of income for armed groups and organizations with terrorist ties throughout the world, many of which pose a direct threat to American interests.

A report by the United Nations and Interpol found that the “illegal wildlife trade worth up to $213 billion a year is funding organized crime, including global terror groups and militias.” Additionally, “the annual trade of up to $100 billion in illegal logging is helping line the pockets of mafia, Islamist extremists and rebel movements, including Somalia’s Al-Qaeda linked terror group al-Shabaab.”

Fortunately, Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), who recently rose to the powerful post of Chairman of the Appropriations Committee, has remained a staunch supporter of ensuring that resources continue to flow into efforts to combat the illegal trade in timber and fish.

“The Committee has worked together to strike the appropriate balance between the competing priorities of law enforcement, national security, scientific advancement, and economic development,” Shelby said after announcing critical funding for Fiscal Year 2018. “Additionally, the measure includes necessary oversight provisions to fight waste, fraud, and abuse. This is a step forward in maintaining critical funding for core programs and addressing the needs of our nation while staying within our spending boundaries.”

The move did not go unnoticed by leaders in the seafood industry, a major source of economic activity in all Gulf States, including Alabama.

“We cannot thank Senator Shelby enough,” said Southern Shrimp Alliance Executive Director John Williams after fiscal year 2018 appropriation. “Their extraordinary efforts ensure the survival of the domestic shrimp fishery in the face of what has been an endless stream of illegal shrimp imports.”

Support for foreign assistance and international conservation is smart domestic policy. It protects our economy and cuts off the flow of cash to criminals and terrorists. Sen. Shelby and the bipartisan coalition of lawmakers from whom he has helped rally support deserve recognition and praise for their leadership.

Allison Ross is the owner of Yellowhammer News.

— Jones said he was “stunned” and “disappointed” by Trump’s comments about Putin, adding they did a “great disservice to this country.”

— More importantly, Jones seems to acknowledge that collusion is not the issue, but rather, meddling. Both Trump and his enemies can’t get over that. Jones argued, “One of the problems that I’m seeing, and I think this is really important – the president is focused on the allegations of collusion,” adding, “That’s not the problem here. You know, that’s just not the issue. What’s an issue – what’s a serious, serious issue and a threat to this country is the interference with our electoral process that every intelligence in the United States says it happened in 2016. It’s going to happen again. And as long, and until the president acknowledges all of this – not in a backtracking way, but affirmatively really strong and puts the resource into it, we’re going to have another problem.”

3. Robert Mueller’s prosecutors could offer immunity to a Democrat with connections to Hillary Clinton for the same crime Paul Manafort is accused of

— Hillary Clinton’s campaign manager’s brother is reportedly being offered immunity by special counsel Robert Mueller to testify against former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort, causing many to suggest that this is proof that Mueller’s probe is politically motivated..

— Tony Podesta, and his campaign manager brother, ran a lobbying firm that was closed in 2017 in response to the investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller.

4. In what will become known as the “backtrack week” at the White House, the White House has rejected Putin’s request to investigate a former Ambassador

— After initially calling the idea “an incredible offer”, the President has decided turning over a U.S. Ambassador to Russia may not be a good idea. The White House said, “It is a proposal that was made in sincerity by President Putin, but President Trump disagrees with it.”

— The U.S. Senate voted 98-0 against this ridiculous idea after the White House backed down minutes before it passed.

5. Russian hacking and other foreign efforts will be made known to the public by the government during the election

— The U.S. Justice Department announced they will now alert the public about issues like  Russia’s meddling during the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

— The reasoning is that the DOJ feels that telling Americans what is going on is a good way to “neutralize them,” according to FBI Deputy Director Rod Rosenstein, and he added, “The American people have a right to know if foreign governments are targeting them with propaganda.”

6. Democrat candidates have figured out how to dupe dopes into writing stories about them, claim the Russians are hacking them

— Candidate for Congress in Alabama’s 2nd District, Tabitha Isner, claims the Russians attacked her website, the Montgomery Advertiser’s Brian Lyman dutifully wrote the transcript.

— Florida Senator Bill Nelson believes he is campaigning against FL Governor Rick Scott, Donald Trump and the Russians.

7. The NFL has suspended their National Anthem policy after someone leaked the Dolphins’ punishment plans, ensuring more complaining from everyone

— NFL and NFL Players Association will not let the issue of protesting during the National Anthem die. They are seeking some sort of settlement that will allow the players to protest at work and in the face of their paying customers.

— Miami Dolphins players who protest on the field during the National Anthem could be suspended for up to four games under a team policy issued this week.

— The experts tend to agree that, barring an issue similar to that of Roy Moore in 2017, the idea that a Democrat resurgence in Alabama does not seem to have many takers amongst the experts that talked to AL.com.

— National Democrats continue to create problems for Alabama Democrats with attempts to abolish ICE, talks of impeachment and higher taxes.

3. Senator Doug Jones is looking to halt auto tariffs to protect Alabama jobs

— Fear of job losses due to auto tariffs have lead Governor Ivey, Senator Shelby, Republican Congressmen, state legislators, auto CEOs and Chamber of Commerce leaders to speak out against the president’s 20 to 25 percent tax on all foreign autos.

— Now, Democrat Senator Doug Jones has joined the chorus, working with Republican Senator Lamar Alexander to find an end to this idea, saying, “I realize that folks affected by these proposed tariffs are looking for a silver bullet to stop them dead in their tracks. Right now, the only silver bullet in this case is for the President to change his mind and recognize how many jobs are at risk because of these proposed tariffs. Until that happens, we’re going to fight to protect what our states and our workers have earned.”

4. Embattled former FBI Director James Comey has gone from the guy who cost Hillary Clinton the election to the guy leading “The Resistance“

— Comey’s latest foray into politics is to send a Tweet urging Americans to vote for Democrats: “This Republican Congress has proven incapable of fulfilling the Founders’ design that Ambition must … counteract ambition.’ All who believe in this country’s values must vote for Democrats this fall. Policy differences don’t matter right now. History has its eyes on us.”

— Washinton Post columnist Paul Waldman wonders who exactly will be impacted by Comey’s words, asking, “He’s also someone with nothing resembling a constituency. Whom can he persuade to vote for Democrats? Not Democrats, who are already motivated to turn out and who despise Comey for all but handing the presidency to Trump. And not Republicans, who have been told over and over that Comey is just out to get their beloved president and that nothing he says can be believed.”

5. A United States Congressman is calling for a coup by the United States military

— Rep. Steven Cohen responded to a Tweet about Trump being a Russian asset by asking, “Where are our military folks? The Commander in Chief is in the hands of our enemy!” — which is literally a call for the military overthrowing the President.

— Last week, Cohen said embattled FBI agent Peter Strzok deserved a Purple Heart, and he has also decided to call for attacks on Russian banks in response to Russian meddling, a move gaining traction on the left.

6. New Brett Kavanaugh tape gives false hope that Democrats can stop his nomination

— Everyone is looking for the silver bullet that can derail Kavanaugh’s almost sure thing confirmation. Today’s attempt is a video that shows Kavanaugh stating that he believes the 1998 ruling that allows independent counsels (which Mueller is not) is flawed because he believes it is unconstitutional for any executive branch official to be insulated from presidential control.

— When asked if there was a case that should be overruled, Kavanaugh referenced this issue, “Actually, I’m going to say one. Morrison v. Olson. It’s been effectively overruled, but I would put the final nail in.” Democrats believe this makes him unacceptable to the court.

7. Only 28 percent of young people say they are certainly going to vote in 2018

— As hopes for a Democrat takeover of the House seem less likely than months ago, but not impossible, they will need young voters to turn out and vote, but a recent poll shows only 28 percent of young adults are “absolutely certain” that they will show up to vote this year, while 74 percent of seniors say the same.

— Alabama’s turnout on Tuesday was really low, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing

Both candidates hail from Marshall County and both effectively energized their bases in the Fourth and Fifth Congressional Districts. This is particularly evident when you look at their margins of victory in those north Alabama counties compared to the performances of their opponents in their own base counties. Ainsworth and Marshall won big at home.

With Ainsworth and Marshall the presumptive winners in November (more on that below), north Alabama could have the Speaker of the House, the Lt. Governor and the Attorney General in positions of power.

Keep an eye on this dynamic in the 2020 race for the U.S. Senate.

Democrats?
Several months ago, a fashionable narrative developed among some that Democrats were going to move the needle in November 2018. In fairness to the delusional, much of this was borne out of the bizarre circumstances surrounding the Moore-Jones election.

However, these runoff elections are a culmination of months now during which no one is seriously talking about Democrats — let alone their chances in November.

Even the ultra-liberal New York Times, which is an arm of the Democratic Party, posted this statement as part of its updated Alabama primary election results on June 11:

“In deep-red Alabama, the Republican primary almost certainly determined the general election winner.”

Democrat candidates up and down the ballot — from Walt Maddox in the Governor’s race to Democrat legislators like Johnny Mack Morrow — will tilt at their windmills. But they won’t be able to escape Nancy Pelosi and their own party’s dysfunction.

Expect big Republican wins in November.

It’s time to change Alabama’s runoffs.
South Carolina holds their runoffs three weeks after the primary. Alabama puts six weeks between its primary and its runoff.

In South Carolina’s top race, there were only 24,000 fewer votes in the runoff than there were in the primary. That was only a 6.5% decrease.

In Alabama’s top runoff race, there was a nearly 200,000 total vote difference between the primary and the runoff. That’s a 37.5% decrease in participation. Undoubtedly, those three extra weeks, which bring the runoff deep into the summer, contribute significantly to voter apathy.

South Carolina has established an efficient process for handling military absentee ballots within its three-week runoff. Alabama should do the same.

The Yellowhammer Multimedia Executive Board is comprised of owners of the company.

— Attorney General Steve Marshall crushes former AG Troy King in a race that wasn’t even close.  Marshall will face former Democrat AG and Governor’s son Joseph Siegelman.

— State Rep. Will Ainsworth squeaks by in the Lt. Gov. race, barely beating the more well-known candidate Twinkle Cavanaugh to be the odds-on on favorite to win the job in November. (Quick: Who is the Democrat candidate for Lt. Gov.?)

3. New tax cuts

— A second round of tax cuts, and a move to make the tax cuts permanent, are being discussed by the White House and Congressional Republicans. The fact they expired was a major part of the complaints by Democrats on the issue.

— Democrats, who still don’t want tax cuts, have filed a frivolous lawsuit with the federal government because blue states taxes are so high and the 1st round of tax cuts capped deductions on state taxes that could be deducted.

4. Toyota CEO continues to sound the alarm on Trump’s tariffs and how they will impact Alabama

— Toyota Motor Manufacturing Alabama President wrote that a 25% tariff on foreign automobiles will have a devastating impact on manufacturing.

— This is exactly the argument Kay Ivey made earlier this summer when she said, “Import tariffs, and any retaliatory tariffs on American made goods, will harm Alabama, the companies that have invested billions of dollars in our state, and the thousands of households, which are dependent upon those companies for a good-paying job.”

5. After a hate-love relationship with Trump, Congresswoman Martha Roby survives in Alabama’s only real contested Congressional race

— Roby absolutely destroyed former Democrat turned Republican Bobby Bright. Bright was possibly the worst GOP primary candidate if the goal is to point out the divisions in the GOP because he has a vote for Nancy Pelosi on his resume.

— The “can she overcome talking bad about Trump?” narrative should die — it will not.

6. More details emerge about Governor Bentley’s past and present with Rebekah Caldwell Mason

— Bentley continues to deny the affair with his former aide was sexual, which really stretches the bounds of believability.

— The former governor’s love-interest is apparently still working with Bentley at his dermatology office in Tuscaloosa. She is not listed in the staff section of the website.

7. There is a silly notion working its way through the media and Democrats that anyone upset with Trump’s comments must abandon the GOP

—  A Republican Party county chairman in Ohio resigned on Monday after watching President Donald Trump’s press conference with Vladimir Putin, calling it a “matter of conscience”

— While this continues to be a theme, many Republicans continue to support the GOP because as I wrote for Yellowhammer yesterday, “The economy matters, the Supreme Court matters, controlling our borders matters”.

2) Expect high turnout in Marshall County: With two hometown guys running, Steve Marshall for Alabama Attorney General and Will Ainsworth for Lieutenant Governor, Marshall County, which includes Guntersville, Albertville, Arab and most of Boaz, turnout will be higher than usual.

In a statewide election with a likely lower-than-normal turnout with no gubernatorial race at the top of the ticket, the Marshall County vote will be pivotal for Marshall and Ainsworth.

3) Although interest in the Roby-Bright race is somewhat exaggerated, a boost in the Wiregrass could play a role: There have been some national media lurking from Montgomery to Dothan looking for a Donald Trump angle on the race between incumbent Rep. Martha Roby and former Rep. Bobby Bright for the Republican nod.

It’s not clear a competitive race between the two is the case, but with both candidates engaging in get-out-the-vote efforts, that will drive turnout a little in the Wiregrass region.

If that turns out to be the case, that could favor lieutenant gubernatorial hopeful Twinkle Cavanaugh and Alabama attorney general hopeful Troy King.

4) Local races in Baldwin County could sway statewide races: Contentious races for Baldwin County Commissioner District 3 between incumbent commissioner Tucker Dorsey and Billie Jo Underwood, and for State Senate District 32 between Chris Elliott and David Northcutt could gin up some intrigue for heavily Republican Baldwin County.

Without a hometown candidate in the mix in southwestern Alabama, those votes are for grabs for the statewide candidates. Those in the Mobile media market have been subject to an onslaught of radio and TV spots from all candidates.

5) Alvin Holmes on the ropes? Probably not, but the incumbent state representative that has been a fixture in the Alabama legislature since 1974 is facing a runoff for the Democratic Party nod in Montgomery’s House District 78.

Holmes bested his current challenger Kirk Hatcher by nearly 400 votes in the Democratic primary but came up short in getting to the 50 percent-plus-one threshold required to avoid a runoff.

A Holmes defeat would send shockwaves through the Democratic Party, much like Doug Jones and Randall Woodfin’s victories had last year.

@Jeff_Poor is a graduate of Auburn University and is the editor of Breitbart TV.

Attorney General

Attorney General Steve Marshall faces off against former Alabama Attorney General Troy King to become the Republican nominee for the role as Alabama’s top law enforcement officer.

The campaign has been riddled with arguments over campaign contribution money, namely whether the money that Marshall has been given by the Republican Attorneys General Association is illegal due to Alabama’s campaign finance laws (a judge ruled last week that he has no grounds for calling the contributions illegal. Read more here).

King has gone after Marshall’s allegiance, decrying the attorney general for being a former Democrat. Marshall has gone after King for his alleged ties to gambling interests, citing King’s treatment of the illicit industry both as attorney general and candidate.

A win for Marshall would be a win for candidates who accept money from large, federal political action committees, as it would demonstrate that a candidate can receive ‘PAC-to-PAC transfer’ money without losing favor with the electorate.

A win for King might show that Alabama doesn’t appreciate Marshall’s former party affiliation and doesn’t accept his job performance as a non-elected attorney general. It also might demonstrate a rekindled trust of the former attorney general.

U.S. House District 2

Rep. Martha Roby faces off against former representative Bobby Bright.

Roby has run a race touting her strong conservative record and, much like King, trying to discredit her former opponent for being a former Democrat.

Roby’s campaign has been overshadowed because of her inability to beat Bright outright in the June primary, which has been attributed a hundred times over by analysts across the country to her withdrawal of support for President Trump just days before the 2016 presidential election.

President Trump and Vice President Pence have both endorsed Roby.

A win for her would be a seal of approval of her job performance in Congress, and it would reiterate the strength of a presidential endorsement.

A win for Bright would demonstrate that Roby’s strong conservative record doesn’t outweigh her wavering support for President Trump. It would also demonstrate that conservative voters are willing to forgive Bright’s past life as a Democrat who supported Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s House speakership.

@jeremywbeaman is a contributing writer for Yellowhammer News

— After his meeting with Putin, Trump once again denied collusion with Russia, saying, “The probe is a disaster for our country. It kept us apart.” Mr. Trump said at a press conference following a summit with Mr. Putin, “There was no collusion at all. Everybody knows it.”

— Even people Trump has appointed to serve in his administration are telling him that there is a Russian-issue but he can’t just own it, which makes himself look guilty. He continues to be his own worst enemy.

3. Some Alabama lawmakers do not hold back on what Newt Gingrich calls the “most serious mistake” of Trump’s presidency

— Democrat Senator Doug Jones and Congresswoman Terri Sewell both rebuked the president. Jones reminded President Trump that Putin is a “foe,” and Sewell asked, “When will the Republicans that control Congress stand up to Trump?”

— Rep. Bradley Byrne reminded the president that it is OK to talk to Russia, saying, “I applaud President Trump’s decision to start a dialogue with President Putin, and I’m glad he is making it a priority. However, we must remember that Russia is not an ally – economically or militarily.”

4. Election Day is here: Local races, 2 statewide run-offs, and no crossover voting allowed

— Rep. Will Ainsworth spent Monday dragging a boat around the state with a fiberglass tiger. AG candidate and Alabama’s worst attorney Troy King was dragging “heavy hitter” Roger Stone around the state.

— In a more absurd moment for a Congressional race, Alabama Congressman Bobby Bright is getting attention for calling Congresswoman Martha Roby a “poot” sniffer for Trump in a race that has become a contest about who loves Trump more.

5. Gov. Kay Ivey continues to outline the differences between Republicans and Democrats

— Ivey’s press release was right to the point: “The reality is now clear as day — Maddox’s moderate talk doesn’t match his liberal walk. Alabamians won’t be fooled by a smooth talker who won’t stand up to the radical liberals who now run the Democrat party.”

— If the November gubernatorial election comes down to R vs. D, Gov. Ivey knows the R has a huge advantage, so look for her to make that distinction with Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox.

6. Sending the National Guard to the border is working

— The National Guard’s deployment to the southwest border is being credited with 10,805 “deportable alien arrests,” that is 10,000+ illegals that would have made it in otherwise.

— Meanwhile, the GOP-controlled House decides not to vote to abolish ICE after the point was made that this is a ridiculous piece of political pandering.

7. Former Judge Roy Moore continues to embarrass the state of Alabama by being pranked by Sacha Baron Cohen and endorsing Troy King

— The disgraced judge and failed Senate candidate is still threatening to sue Showtime, CBS, and Cohen if any footage of Moore airs in Cohen’s absurd new TV show that gets political figures to say really stupid things.

— Moore also endorsed Troy King for Attorney General, which is odd given all of King’s gambling conflicts.

Moore is an attorney and was the Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court. He knows as well as anyone that if he said something on a tape during an interview it can be used. He will not win a single lawsuit he is involved in, but he will bilk his supporters for more money. He may sue, but you can sue on anything. He cannot win a lawsuit with a comedian who is producing a satire piece.

Moore is a public figure, a target for liberals, and he needs to fade into obscurity. Moore also needs to realize that his insistence on standing on the public stage only hurts the causes he holds dear. If he truly cares about Alabama, and not only about himself, he will stop answering media inquiries.

@TheDaleJackson is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts a conservative talk show from 7-11 am weekdays on WVNN

— Trump’s European tour has been a whirlwind with differences between the U.S. and its allies exposed. Trade deal and defense spending took center stage as a U.S. president fought to put the U.S. first.

— No one knows how the Trump-Putin meeting will go, but the media has already declared that Trump lost. The 12 indictments Friday raised the stakes.

3. Irresponsible media outlets took the weekend to imply that the 12 indictments proved Russian collusion — it did the opposite

— The media seized on two parts of this story from Friday: Roger Stone was involved with people he didn’t know were part of the Russian government and Guccifer 2.0/Wikileaks/DCLeaks are involved with the Russian “hacking” of the DNC.

— Rudy Giuliani laid out the proper response from Trump’s perspective. He said the indictments are good news, the Russians did it, no Americans involved, and Trump is innocent.

4. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein could be facing impeachment, and probably should be fired

— Apparently, the Trump administration knew these indictments were coming, but the releasing of these indictments on the heels of the Trump-Putin meeting seems like a bad call while the president is overseas.

— Calls for Rosenstein’s impeachment over delays in investigation into FBI agents are gaining steam, but Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC) says there is no real reason for it to happen.

5. The beheading of a 13-year-old Alabama girl by a drug cartel in Huntsville goes national and international

— A special-needs Challenger Middle School student was killed by illegal aliens in relation to a drug cartel beef after she saw her grandmother killed.

— The 13-year old’s grandmother apparently double-crossed the cartel and was killed by her boyfriend and ex-boyfriend. Both are in custody.

6. You cannot vote in the GOP runoff if you voted in the Democrat primary, but no one will actually charge you

— Secretary of State John Merrill warned people against voting illegally with a press release saying, “As a result of legislation passed in the 2017 Session of the State Legislature sponsored by Senator Tom Whatley of Auburn and Representative Arnold Mooney of Indian Springs, voters will only be able to cast a ballot for the party that they selected in the June 6th Primary.”

— This does not really matter. We know people are voting illegally and we refuse to have them charged.

7. Illegals are able to vote if they want to — this is undeniable

— Voter ID laws won’t be of much use if illegal voters are still able to register and vote in American elections, which is happening pretty easily. One county in Pennsylvania had 139 illegal voters.

— The only reason we are aware this happens is these individuals self-report as they apply for American citizenship. It’s happening and it’s not being stopped.

Since voters went to the polls in the 1992 election in this reconstituted congressional district, only three people have held its seat: former Reps. Earl Hilliard and Artur Davis and its current occupant, Rep. Terri Sewell.

For both Hilliard and Davis, their tenures representing Alabama’s seventh congressional district had abrupt endings.

Hilliard’s demise came at the hands of Artur Davis in the 2002 Democratic congressional primary. Hilliard made himself a target by making an ill-advised trip to Muammar Gaddafi’s Libya despite a federal ban on travel to the rogue North African nation.

Prominent Mobilian and University of South Alabama booster Mayer Mitchell, who at the time had a leadership role in the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), sought to oust Hilliard, who had been a critic of Israel.

With Mitchell’s help and perhaps the aid of a cloud of campaign finance impropriety hanging over Hilliard’s head, Davis defeated Hilliard on a second try in 2002 in a runoff election.

With that win came the rise of Artur Davis, a young Harvard Law School graduate with, at the time, what was thought to be a bright, promising future in the Democratic Party.

For four terms, Davis represented the seventh congressional district at a time when Harvard Law classmate Barack Obama, another African-American was rising to national prominence and ultimately to the White House in 2008.

While Hilliard legislated from the left flank of the Democratic Party, Davis legislated from the right flank. Davis opposed Obama’s health care reform bill, which turned out to be Obama’s signature achievement for his eight years as commander-in-chief.

Political watchers assumed Davis’ politically moderate tack was an effort to position himself as a better candidate for governor in the 2010 election.

It was that 2010 bid that wound up being the roadblock for Davis. He lost the Democratic nod to then-Alabama Agricultural Commissioner Ron Sparks by a whopping 24-point margin. Davis would go on to flirt with a Republican Party candidacy for Congress in northern Virginia. He even spoke at the 2012 Republican National Convention in Tampa.

Ultimately, he wound up back in Alabama and after a failed bid to be the mayor of Montgomery, he still insists that he isn’t done yet.

That brings us to the current occupant, Rep. Terri Sewell. Sewell, who is also a graduate of Harvard Law, in addition to a bachelor’s degree from Princeton and a master’s degree from Oxford.

Sewell is a historical figure in Alabama politics. After a stint practicing law in the private sector, she won the Democratic Party primary for the 2010 Alabama’s seventh congressional district election by finishing first in a crowded. A victory later that year made Sewell the first African-American woman to serve from Alabama in the U.S. Congress.

Since the election of President Donald Trump, Sewell has taken up a more active role in the so-called Resistance movement.

Putin could not have won a more compliant president. The whole reason we set up #NATO was to protect our front line allies from Russian encroachment. This is not the time to let down our guard, or let down our allies.

— Rep. Terri A. Sewell (@RepTerriSewell) July 10, 2018

It’s the 150th birthday of the 14th Amendment. No better way to celebrate Brown v. Board, Loving v. Virginia, and Baker v. Carr than speaking out to #StopKavanaugh #WhatsAtStake pic.twitter.com/i4v1C9RMEY

— Rep. Terri A. Sewell (@RepTerriSewell) July 10, 2018

The most profound question of our time is how we keep our democracy from falling apart in an era of half-baked conspiracy theories, partisanship, and voter suppression @realDonaldTrump https://t.co/C3b8EdOjqp

— Rep. Terri A. Sewell (@RepTerriSewell) June 26, 2018

To her credit, she was instrumental in Doug Jones’ upset win last year over Roy Moore with her get-out-the-vote efforts in her congressional district.

But could this new strident outspokenness against Trump work against her? Could a candidate emerge as Artur Davis had against Earl Hilliard?

If this past is prologue, it is feasible a rival Democrat could emerge in 2020. The long-term prognosis of a Democratic Party fueled by Russia conspiracies and anti-Trump fervor is unknown. If Democrats have a misstep this November and don’t succeed in a national election that the party out of power traditionally does well, there could be a civil war within the Democratic Party.

There’s also the possibility Alabama could lose a congressional seat. If that happens to be the case, Sewell’s district would likely expand to take on some demographic changes. It would still probably be a majority-minority district, but the electorate could be a little more moderate than it is now.

What might that mean for Rep. Sewell? She would still be an odds-on favorite, no question. But that was the way people viewed Hilliard in 2002. In 2002, Hilliard was also running a congressional district that had changed since the prior election.

Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin or even Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox, assuming he isn’t governor, could be such candidates that would be formidable opponents for Sewell in a Democratic primary.

While we still need to get through the 2018 election cycle, a lot of what happens nationally in the November elections will set the country up for 2020, and that could include Alabama’s seventh congressional district.

@Jeff_Poor is a graduate of Auburn University and is the editor of Breitbart TV.

At the same time, a strong group must also carry the interests of a broad spectrum of industries. Small businesses, manufacturing and professional services – just to name a few – will all need representation within the organization.

BCA decision-makers will have to strike a delicate balance in implementing these changes. But that’s not the only place where change will matter.

Choosing the correct person to lead the group is equally important.

The new leader will have to be someone who can unify the business community through their experience and leadership style. The BCA needs to sharpen its approach to governmental affairs, refocus their policy goals and retool its political operation. All of this will require a lot of adjustments before the legislature convenes in March 2019.

So, who might that person be?

Yellowhammer News has picked up on several names being talked about to potentially fill that role.

Jo Bonner – The former congressman from Mobile has spent a career building relationships with many of the key stakeholders in the business community. Bonner currently serves in a governmental affairs and economic development role for the University of Alabama. He has a long-standing friendship with Governor Ivey and relationships with business leaders across the state. Bonner is known for his statesman-like approach to politics.

Young Boozer –  Should the BCA’s leadership prioritize business experience in the selection process, then Boozer would likely become a top candidate. Boozer has decades of experience in banking and finance with some of the country’s largest institutions. He entered politics in 2010 and has since served two terms as State Treasurer.

Philip Bryan – Bryan has enjoyed a meteoric rise in Alabama politics. Having started in political communications only a decade ago, and now running Senate Pro Tem Del Marsh’s legislative operation, Bryan has reached a point of permanent occupancy on any list of Alabama’s most powerful and influential people. Few people in politics share Bryan’s smarts and knowledge, and even fewer people have as much influence on the policy-making process. Bryan’s energy and ambition would be welcome additions to the position.

Allison Hosp – Currently serving as the Vice President of the Alabama Retail Association, Hosp has a strong track record of success working on the issues most important to Alabama’s business community. When BCA refocuses its policy goals, Hosp is someone who has the experience necessary to carry out an effective plan of advocacy. From fighting tax hikes to tort reform, she has proven she can be an effective advocate for the business community.

State Representative Bill Poole – No one knows if the Tuscaloosa lawyer would actually have an interest in giving up his powerful House Ways and Means Education chairmanship to take over at BCA. Nevertheless, Poole’s name has been bantered about heavily. Poole is that rare combination of policy wonk and political operator. He has a reputation as a straight-shooter who also navigates the treacherous waters of the statehouse with ease. Regardless of whether he lands at BCA, Poole will be a player in Alabama politics for many years.

Toby Roth – Roth is a trusted figure in Montgomery circles, and someone who transcends several cycles of political power. He began working on behalf of the business community in the 1990s during the appellate court and tort reform battles. Then Roth served as Chief of Staff during Bob Riley’s first term as governor. He has years of business advocacy on his resume, as well as the even temperament some may want in the next leader at BCA.

These moves and others will go a long way in determining whether the BCA, once again, becomes a viable entity in Alabama politics.

The Yellowhammer Multimedia Executive Board is comprised of the owners of the company.

— Monday King complained of PAC-to-PAC transfers involving the Republican Attorney General’s Association, Tuesday his angle was that the RAGA held an event at a hotel with a casino, Wednesday he filed a lawsuit to block Marshall from spending campaign money.

— King wants to be the Attorney General again, after being fired in 2010, but he is not very good at the whole law thing.

5. The federal government will meet the imposed deadline to reunite all children under five with their families

— All eligible children under five were required to be reunited by today, but the Trump Administration fought that deadline until a judge denied their request.

— Some children were not eligible for reunification due to the criminal record or unfitness of the individuals who brought them to the border.

6. Gov. Ivey ends the policy that allows sheriffs to personally profit from prisoner feeding funds

— Ivey said, “Public funds should be used for public purposes” as she ended a program that allowed multiple sheriffs to be embroiled in controversy, including Etowah County’s sheriff who legally pocketed enough for a beach house.

— Now, instead of the money going to the sheriffs it must go into county general funds or official accounts, but this doesn’t totally solve the problem and it may end up in court.

7. U.S. will soon be the world’s largest oil producer

— Russia and Saudi Arabia are about to be passed for the first time since 1974 due to fracking and horizontal drilling.

— But Russia and Saudi Arabia may respond by pumping more oil tapping reserves, or American companies could move from prime real estate to less fruitful oil opportunities.

— With very few actual options, Schumer is imploring his senators behind the scenes to stick together and not consider Brett Kavanaugh for the Supreme Court, while he hopes to pick off a moderate Republican.

— As the Democrat leader, Schumer controls fundraising and committee assignments so this threat is not an empty one, but Schumer needs these red state Democrats as bad as they need him.

5. Troy King has filed an ethics complaint against Attorney General Steve Marshall a week before an election because he knows it will not be heard

— King is alleging a PAC that gave money to Marshall took money from another PAC, which is a violation of the state’s PAC to PAC ban. There will be no hearing, but King got his headlines.

— Marshall has argued that Alabama’s law does not apply to federal PACs, and told AL.com, “We are pleased to have received support from the RAGA Action Fund and trust they have complied with Alabama law.”

6. Like many in the media, New York magazine’s Jonathan Chait has gone completely off the rails by claiming Trump has been a Russian asset since the 80s. 

— Special Prosecutor Robert Mueller can’t seem to prove that Trump’s campaign manager colluded with the Russians, the Chait thinks he has cracked the Trump/Russia code as he asks, “Will Trump Be Meeting With His Counterpart — Or His Handler?”

— After Trump visited Moscow in 1987, Chait argues Trump was pushing Russian propaganda by spending $100,000 on a series of full-page newspaper ads that argued that America pays too much for other nation’s defense.

7. Alabama considers a law to charge people who leave dogs in hot cars

— Even though a woman was charged with felony aggravated cruelty to animals for the hot car death of a dog in Trussville, many want more done including making the act of leaving a dog in a locked car a crime.

— Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh wrote on Facebook that he was “looking into having legislation drafted to prohibit people from leaving animals unattended in their vehicles.”

— According to the North Koreans, Pompeo’s “gangster-like” demands that they denuclearize are an insult in spite of the fact that this is the entire reason for the negotiations in the first place.

— Pompeo argued that the talks are going fine and said, “the fact that we are cooperating — and not fighting — is proof that when a country decides to create a brighter future for itself alongside the United States, we follow through on American promises.”

5. More confrontations this weekend: Senate Majority Leader and Steve Bannon are all harassed in public, while another Congressman’s supporters are threatened

— After an assault on a 16-year-old Trump supporter last week, three other high-profile confrontations took place over the weekend proving that this will not be a short-lived phenomenon.

— The most troubling confrontation involved a Long Island man showing up at Rep. Lee Zeldin’s office and threatening the life the Representative’s supporters and President Trump before almost running over a staffer.

6. Twinkle Cavanaugh attacks Rep. Will Ainsworth over a college prank and boating citation in a nasty Lieutenant Governor’s race

— Ainsworth participated in what he calls a “stupid prank” that included stealing tiger statues on Auburn’s campus, for which he received community service. The other “arrest” was actually a boating ticket which is technically an arrest as all traffic tickets are as well.

— Cavanaugh’s attempt to cast this as a sign of criminal behavior almost two decades later is an insult to the intelligence of Alabama voters.

7. Racist idiots arrested for racist and idiotic video, did not break any laws

— Chris Tidmore and his friend Ronny recorded and posted a video online declaring that they were ready to shoot black people in North Alabama. They then went to the police when they said they started receiving death threats.

— Fortunately, for these guys, being a stupid racist is not illegal, they have been released from custody after being identified and detained.

The move comes after several of the state’s largest companies quit the organization, with some openly questioning its leadership, direction, and effectiveness. A selection committee had previously been named to identify and hire a new CEO. The committee is comprised of members of the executive committee.

Alabama Power Co., Regions Bank, Blue Cross Blue Shield, PowerSouth Energy Cooperative, Protective Life Corporation, Progress Rail, Parker Towing and Maynard, Cooper & Gale have all left the BCA during the last month.

In addition to business members, two long-time senior officials have also resigned from the organization. Next in line as chairman of the board and current chairman of ProgressPAC, Mike Kemp, president and CEO of Kemp Management Solutions LLC in Birmingham withdrew in June. BCA general counsel Fournier “Boots” Gale, senior vice president and general counsel for Regions Financial also resigned within the last three weeks.

Canary had been under contract in his current position through 2020.

3. Smears of Attorney General Steve Marshall continue from Troy King’s allies at the Alabama Political Reporter

— A week after Marshall’s wife killed herself, the APR ran a piece implying there were major irregularities in the case mostly predicated on the fact that law enforcement would not comment on an open investigation.

— Now, they have posted a bizarre and unlikely innuendo-filled report alleging that random neighbors were told not to talk to the press. This is all going nowhere, but it will continue until the July 17th runoff.

4. The thug ripped that hat off of a 16-year-old Trump supporter has now been fired and is in hiding

— A man walked into a Whataburger restaurant at 2 a.m. on July 4th and ripped a “Make America Great Again” hat off a young man, threw a drink in his face, and it was all recorded.

— The attacker was Kino Jimenez. Thursday, he had been fired from his job, kicked out of the Green Party, identified by the police, and allegedly went into hiding.

5. The left and the media (I repeat myself) finally get Scott Pruitt. Surprisingly, the new head is disparaged as “Scott Pruitt’s ideological twin“

— The constantly assailed Environmental Protection Agency director Scott Pruitt has finally resigned,.Pruitt made for an easy target because he was constantly dancing along ethical lines.

— Pruitt’s real crime was being a constant critic of the organization he would helm. The drama will not stop because the interim director is a former energy industry lobbyist who will continue the President’s deregulation plans.

6. 57 Alabama schools are no longer eligible for Alabama Accountability Act tax credits, showing lawmakers were concerned about quality

— Alabama now has 151 private schools that allow students who receive AAA scholarship. The students enrolled in those schools do not want to go back to public schools.

— The change comes after a 2015 law closed a loophole that allowed unaccredited schools to receive students taking advantage of the program.

7. Fear not: After the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling on online taxes, Alabama is coming for your money

— Last month, the court cleared the way for states to collect more tax dollars from Internet sales. Alabama is expected to pick up between ten to twenty million dollars, according to Sen. Trip Pittman.

— The Alabama Department of Revenue Tuesday put out guidelines to online retailers that said taxes will be collected starting October 1.

That decision functionally ended preclearance, resulting in fierce pushback from Democrats. Now, states are able to pass and enforce new voting measures, such as photo ID and voter role purgation measures, without a stamp of federal approval, a reality which many believe has prompted more voter suppression.

What the Voting Rights Act did

Following many years of voter suppression, Congress took action to counteract racial discrimination at the polls by passing the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

The act outlawed racial discrimination in voting, particularly its manifestation as literacy tests, which had been used to disenfranchise African-Americans and other minorities.

The most important provisions, defined by Sections 4 and 5, required jurisdictions in which less than 50 percent of persons of voting age were registered to vote on November 1, 1964, or less than 50 percent of persons of voting age voted in the presidential election of November 1964, to be cleared by the Department of Justice before enacting any new voting laws.

Based upon the Section 4 formula, all of Alabama, Alaska, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Virginia became subject to preclearance requirements. Parts of North Carolina, Hawaii, Arizona, and Idaho also became subject.

The Act required Congress to reauthorize Section 4 and 5 in five years, which it did in 1970.

The Section 4 formula was then expanded, which subjected jurisdictions in Alaska, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, and Wyoming to preclearance.

The formula was expanded again in its 1975 reauthorization to include parts of California, Florida, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, and South Dakota.

In 1982, Congress extended the 1975 coverage formula for 25 years, and then did so again in 2006.

Shelby County challenges the law: The arguments

The central challenge presented before the court by Shelby County’s chief counsel Bert Rein was that the Section 4 formula reauthorized by Congress in 2006 was a grossly outdated mechanism by which to infringe upon state and jurisdictional sovereignty.

Not primarily the passage of 40 years but the demonstrable improvements in minority voter registration and turnout, Rein argued, rendered the formula irrational.

The dissenting opinion is summed up by Justice Stephen Breyer’s rhetorical question to Rein, who agreed during the oral argument that the formula as defined in 1965 achieved its aims of diminishing discrimination.

“It’s an old disease, it’s gotten a lot better, a lot better, but it’s still there,” Justice Breyer said of discrimination. “So if you had a remedy that really helped it work, but it wasn’t totally over, wouldn’t you keep that remedy?”

That remedy, the dissent argued, ought to remain in place because it worked and because Congress authorized it.

Ultimately, the Court decided to strike down the formula, though it allowed for Congress to develop a new one based upon the current realities in states rather than the historical realities.

“When taking such extraordinary steps as subjecting state legislation to preclearance in Washington and applying that regime only to some disfavored states, Congress must ensure that the legislation it passes speaks to current conditions,” Chief Justice John Roberts said in his opinion announcement.

“The coverage formula, unchanged for 40 years plainly does not do so and therefore we have no choice but to find that it violates the constitution,” he said.

@jeremywbeaman is a contributing writer for Yellowhammer News

The rub here is to imply that it’s absurd to separate families for a misdemeanor, even though it happens every day in the United States. In fact, the arrest and hopefully conviction of Shane Sealy could lead to his separation from his loved ones because menacing is a “Class A misdemeanor offense and may be punished by a term of up to one year in jail” in Alabama.

When asked about separating Sealy from his family, an Alabama liberal activist who was on the scene that day, Clete Wetli, told WVNN radio and Yellowhammer News that this is completely appropriate for this first time misdemeanor offense.

DALE JACKSON: [T]hey charged him with a misdemeanor, and that’s sort of one of the arguments I hear a lot is, “Hey these people are being charged with a misdemeanor and being separated from their family.” This guy is being charged with a misdemeanor. Should he be separated from his family?

CLETE WETLI: I love how you totally turned this around but people have journeyed from places where they’re being tortured and abused, are seeking asylum legally and the Trump admin is separating them from their families and arresting them. That’s a problem.

DALE JACKSON: Because they’ve been charged with misdemeanors and are separated from their families. This guy is being charged with a misdemeanor. Should he be separated from his family?

CLETE WETLI: Absolutely, Dale.

DALE JACKSON: Alright, so we can acknowledge that at times, if you are charged with a misdemeanor, you should be separated from your family.

Obviously, Shane Sealy needs to be behind bars. He is a menace to society. It appears that he recklessly endangered many people, and he did it at a political protest he disagreed with. But, the real question is why do some in the anti-immigration debate believe that those who commit misdemeanors by entering our country illegally should receive a separate and unequally favorable level of justice?

Shane Sealy will most like appear for his court date, 84 percent of those who enter the U.S. illegally will not.

Listen to the interview here:

3. The Catholicism of one of Trump’s potential Supreme Court picks is apparently a big deal

— During Amy Coney Barrett’s confirmation to the federal bench, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) warned her, “The dogma lives loudly within you”. This apparently will get much, much worse.

— Now, reports are surfacing that she belongs to a mentoring organization, which “some worry” about because the women mentors are called “handmaids” and “The Handmaids Tale” (while completely unconnected) is one of three books most liberals have ever read.

4. 4th of July terror attack foiled, Catholics not suspected

— Demetrius Nathaniel Pitts, or more accurately Abdur Raheem Rahfeeq, wanted to fill a van with explosives to attack people in Cleveland, Ohio while they were watching the July 4th fireworks.

— The would be terrorist thought he working with al-Qaeda to conduct the attack and “hit them in their core”, but he was actually talking with an undercover FBI agent.

5. Immigration groups want Birmingham to be a straight-up sanctuary city

— Over the weekend, 200 illegals were arrested in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee, and 90 percent arrested this year had either a criminal conviction, a pending criminal charge, or were already supposed to be removed by authorities.

— In light of the arrests, the Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama and Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice are pushing Birmingham’s mayor to go all in on sanctuary status and “have Birmingham to recognize the work of immigrants and undocumented immigrants in our city.”

6. The Democrat Civil War is real, although no one calls it by name as they have a nine-point advantage on a generic Congressional ballot

— After 28-year-old socialist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez won a House seat from a member of the Democrat leadership, the media acted as if this was an awesome occurrence for Democrats, empowering the young, and this is a sign that they were listening to the people of this nation, but the old Democrat guard is not going peacefully.

— Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) said that if the Democrat Party continues to go the socialist  and radical route they will lose the Midwest, while Rep. Lois Frankel (D-FL) turned it into a generational struggle about power, saying, “[P]eople who want to make it into a generational fight are, quite frankly, people who don’t like seniority because they want power.”

7. Some of Alabama’s human garbage in the political press will continue to attempt to make sure Bridgette Marshall’s suicide is an issue in the campaign

— The implication of the “reporting” by the Alabama Political Reporter is that there may be something other than a suicide at play in the death of Attorney General Steve Marshall’s wife.

— This is just Troy King’s boys at the Alabama Political Reporter attempting to capitalize on a suicide.

After this confirmation, the Supreme Court is primed to challenge Roe v. Wade. Alabama legislators should be prepared to act on this issue and represent their constituents, having nibbled around the edges of legality on the abortion issues for years. They have passed law after law that they hoped would pass Constitutional muster with Roe v. Wade in place, knowing they would likely be futile.

Now, these same legislators who have tried to effectively end abortion for decades must make a complete and total attempt to take down this ruling once and for all.

@TheDaleJackson is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts a conservative talk show from 7-11 am weekdays on WVNN